Shock and devastation were the words used by locals living along the St. Lawrence Seaway to describe the closure of the INVISTA chemical plant in Maitland, Ont. On Tuesday, INVISTA announced it would be closing its eastern Ontario plant, located about an hour and a half south of Ottawa, putting 100 people out of work. “I was devastated,” Augusta Township mayor Jeff Shaver told CTV News. “You might say I was surprised but not surprised. I knew this day would come somehow, but I didn’t expect it so soon.” INVISTA says the closure is expected to begin over the coming months as production is moved south of the border to Texas. Shaver says he is confused as to why INVISTA would leave and is now pushing to find new employment to fill the void that will be left by the plant. “This is logistically the best area, from my point of view, in Ontario. We’ve got the CN main rail running through our industrial park. We’re close to two international bridges. We’ve got a port that’s 12-kilometres down, and we have the two 400-series highways.” “I’m looking at the provincial and federal government, for bringing in new business to this industrial park to allow more jobs. We have over a thousand acres. There’s no reason why companies should not be coming here.” The plant was originally built in the 1950’s, employing upwards of 1000 people, according to Shaver. For the surrounding community, losing a staple employer may have an effect on the economic landscape. “It’s very unfortunate,” says Ashton Mayes, owner of AMayesZing Photography in Prescott, located 10 minutes up Highway 2 from Maitland. “I think it’s really negatively impacted a lot of the residents in the area who, of course, rely on that for their livelihoods.” Mayes says she has lived as a neighbour next to the plant for 18 years and sees the exodus of jobs as a shot in the arm to the economic progress she feels the Prescott and Brockville communities has been making. “We can only hope that it doesn’t stay vacant. I mean, that is a huge chunk of land, it’s a prime location right across from the water, there’s a big open space. So again, hopefully something comes through, creates more jobs.”
